Adapter



Patented Dec. 27, 1949 v was; ADAPTER-1 I Elmcn-Eafirangen:BenorNem Applicat on February, 20, 1948;: Serial No. 19,890:

Thiseinvention-relates--to-anadaptor' andit is one-objectoftheinvention to providearr-adaptor so-formedthatit may be screwed-intoasocket of an electric outlet hoxor into a-' bulb-receiving socketot-- a" lighting -system and-- a' terminal plug for-anelectric -cord-then thrust into the. adaptor for supplying current to -a-. fan. lamp; or other electric-appliance; Another objectoi the-invention-is to provide anadaptorof; such construction that a ter-minalplug may be thr ust intothe outer A end of the adaptor -and then turnedi to-a position in which it will make contact: with conductors of the adaptor and be firmly-held=and-prevented from slipping out-of the adaptor.-

Another I obiect-of-theinvention is to provide am adaptor having its outer-or' front end-portion so constructed that the body portion of the adaptor may -be'formed'ofi moulded insulating material and a face plate then applied and secured by screws passed through the -iace-plate and into tbr as d-.- o k ts eedin s romethe. outer end ;o the body.

Another. obieot f .themventionlist pr vide an adaptor which is'of simplified construction, verygeificient in operationrand capable of,-..-:being manuiaoturedatlow.oost

J Theinventionisill. irtedrinethe accompanying'. drawin s .WhQI'fiiIli.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved adaptor.

Fig. 2 is a view looking at the rear end of the adaptor.

Fig. 3 is a view looking at the front end of the adaptor.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the adaptor along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

This improved adaptor has a body I which is formed of molded insulating material and is solid for a portion of its length to provide a shank 2. This shank is circular in cross section and surrounded by a threaded sleeve 3 formed of conductive metal. The outer or forward end portion of the body is enlarged to form a head 4 of such dimensions that it may be readily grasped and the adaptor screwed into or removed from a wall box or the bulb-receiving socket of a lighting fixture. A center terminal pin 5 extends longitudinally of the rear portion of the body with a portion projecting therefrom and about this pin fits a disk 6 of insulating material. ConltClaim; (Cl. Be-r343.)

ductors l :and: :8,zwhich-are formednfrom strips rot metal,- extend longitudinallyi through the; body with-their -forwardaendiportions:ldisposed at -op posits: sides eof. atsock'et 9 formed: inthebody, and embeddedw irmaneinsu-lating ring: I02: Re cesses Ii arerformed imtha-ringo-lfl toreoeivethe front ends ofith'e conductor-strips; and :uponre-x ferring to. Figures a and fv it will beseen that :the front ends :of. the conductor stripsnfill the; res cesses and are fillShi-With the-inner: side 1 face of thering; 'I he-rearendofthe conductor. 1 is-bent laterally so that :itiprotrudes: from; a side portion otthelbody andrengages the shell'3'and the conv ducton-B isof. greater-.lengtlrzthan therconductor 1 and 1 hasxitsi rear: portion I passed through an, opening in the-disks: Gsandaformed: with an: en'- larged: end portion -.l.2" whichi'fits.;about .the center contact-For: terminalizpine 5swhere' it :confined between. the disk 6'! and? at washer:- I iii-through; which .the pin- :Btpasses-s From-..-an: inspectionoof Figure. 4 it will' be'iseenzzthatithe conductors :1 and: 18; the ringrl Osthe-disk ktherwasherl 3, and the terminal pin 5,am-a y:;be assembledcands-placed in azmold together e-witht-aicorei for. forminguthe pocket 9 and melted insulating material. therr poured into-thez'moldaandz allowed tosharden and form: the body: Aiitera-thesbody has hardened it; is removed.sfromathesmoldrand :thescore ,withs drawn- :and the :shell i3.=:.appli'ed.i Duringvf'ormaa. tion of the body the insulating ring It] becomes tightly. fixed to the outer end portion of the body and forms a mouth for the socket 9. After withdrawal of the core from the body a circular disk or face plate l4 of the samesize as the ex-- ternal diameter of the front end of the body is applied thereto and secured by screws [5 which are passed through openings it formed through the face plate and into threaded sockets I1 formed in the body at diametrically opposite sides of the front end thereof. The face plate or disk I4 is formed with a large center opening l8 having recesses or slots I9 in opposed relation to each other diametrically of the face plate, the relation of the slots l9 and the openings IE to each other being such that when the face plate is applied to the body the slots l9 will extend at right angles to each other. Therefore a terminal plug for an electric cord may be inserted through the opening l8 and a quarter turn imparted to it to bring contacts of the terminal plug into engagement with front ends of the conductors I and 8 and a circuit will be established for a fan or other electrical appliance from which the electric cord extends. A lug 20 projects from the inner face of the face plate 14 and serves as an abutment for limiting turning movement of the terminal plug in the adaptor.

This adaptor is intended for use in connection with a terminal plug of the construction shown in Figure 4. This plug 2| has an elongated body which is circular in cross section and bored longitudinally to form a passage for the electric cord 22. The diameter of the body of the plug is such that it may be passed through the opening [8 of the face plate or disk l4 and the outer end of the plug is formed with an outstanding collar 23 serving to limit inward movement of the plug through the opening I8 and carrying a knob r 24 by means of which it may be conveniently grasped and applied to the adaptor and then turned to a circuit closing position. Contacts 25 which are formed from strips of conductive metal and are U-shaped extend longitudinally of the body of the plug and project laterally from opposite sides thereof. Wires 26 of the electric cord are secured to the contacts 25 and the location of these contacts upon the body of the plug is such that when the body portion of the plug is thrust inwardly through the opening l8 into the adaptor the contacts will be disposed close to the inner surface of the face plate. After the contacts have passed throughthe slots l 9 a quarter turn may be imparted to the terminal plug and the contacts 25 will then have engagement with the outer ends of the conductor strips 1 and 8, further turning of the terminal plug being stopped by engagement of one of the contacts 25 with the abutment lug 20. Since the contacts 25 will then be located back of the face plate I4 and in spaced relation to the slots [9 the terminal plug will be firmly held in operative engagement with the adaptor and cannot accidently slip out of the adaptor. By imparting retrograde turning movement to the terminal plug the contacts25 may be brought back into position for passing through the slots 19 and pull may then be exerted upon the terminal plug to withdraw it from the adaptor.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

An adaptor for an electric outlet socket comprising a body of insulating material having a rear portion of dimensions adapting it to fit in an outlet socket and a front portion formed with 4 a pocket open at its front end, a ring of insulating material embedded in the front end of said body and surrounding the front end of said pocket, a threaded shell of conductive metal surrounding the rear portion of said body, a disk of insulating material against the rear end of the body, a terminal pin passing through the disk centrally thereof and into said body, conductor strips extending longitudinally through the body at opposite sides of said pocket and having front ends mounted in recesses formed in the inner side face of said ring and flush with the said inner side face of the ring, the rear end of one conductor strip being attached to said shell and the other conductor strip having its rear end portion passing outwardly through said disk and fitting about the terminal pin, a face plate of insulating material fitting against the front end of the body and the outer face of said ring and formed with a central opening for rotatably receiving a circular terminal plug having contacts projecting from opposite sides thereof for engagement with the contact strips when the plug is turned in the opening of the face plate in one direction, there being slots leading from opposite sides of the opening and spaced from the contact strips circumferentially of said ring and through which the contacts of the plug pass during insertion and removal of the plug, screws passing through said face plate and into said body and removably securing the face plate to the body, and a lug projecting from the inner face of the face plate in position for limiting rotation of a terminal plug thrust through the opening of the face plate and holding the terminal plug in a set position with its contacts in engagement with outer ends of the conductor strips.

ELMER E. GRANGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 776,855 La Har Dec. 6, 1904- 1,593,985 Nielsen July 27, 1926 1,996,410 Edwards Apr. 2, 1935 

